Huge RAIL-CRANE for the Trans-Pennine ELECTRIFICATION | Diggle Diaries: March 2023 Part 1 

100% agree, can’t beat em!

Honestly one of my favourite shots since starting the channel. Cheers Alex 👍

Cheers Bob 👍 that must have been a very interesting but taxing job, keeping track of all those random wagons going here, there and everywhere! And congratulations on retirement, hope you’re enjoying yourself!

Thanks a lot mate, that was great to read. I’m glad the videos can bring you some nostalgia from what sounds like a very interesting time. Can’t imagine ever getting to cab anything nowadays! Amazing stuff.

@@DiggleJunction yea pal, it was great! I could tell you some tales... :D :D

Cheers Jack, all those 66’s are produced over there in Cleveland, OH. You must have felt an affinity haha. Love the old 37’s, they sound great even when chugging along. The snow has been on and off this year, whereabouts in the States are you?

Many Thanks mate, definitely worth trudging out in the snow for that 37 shot. I’d be very interested to know if anyone has managed that at Standedge, the possession has been shortened to Diggle after that one day so it’s no longer possible. Cheers.

Big props to the DRS driver, I think he saw us up on the bridge and gave it some welly. Possibly my favourite shot since I started filming that.

It’s always my pleasure John but appreciate that. Lucky for me I only have to nip out and be in it for a few mins at a time haha. Love the 68’s, you’re right they have a powerful sound. My favourite ‘modern’ diesel.

Thanks a lot Chris, it’s much appreciated and glad to have you along 👍🏻 this was one of my favourite videos to date, the snows a pain to film in but the shots come out great. Don’t envy you driving all that way in it mind!

@@DiggleJunction Thanks for your reply. Yes an interesting drive but I am so glad I made it! I have just watched Don Coffey’s latest Driver’s Eye view on his RU-vid video; Piccadilly to York non stop passing through Diggle, a different perspective. Next one maybe under the wires?

Thanks a lot Graham, I’m fortunate to live so close. I’d be nipping out to spot everything anyway so glad I can fill it too for you guys!

Think I might be in the one bit of Britain without giant fences along the railway haha.

Haha yeah and it’s been going on for days! Cheers Ian 👍🏻

My pleasure Stu, appreciate the comment, glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks pal, I hadn’t noticed that! Had to go back and check. These may be new after the other end froze last year.

Thanks a lot! Thanks for the comment 👍🏻

Haha I haven’t and I was just saying that to a mate the other day. Cheers Allan 👍

Thanks a lot mate, much appreciate the support as always!

You could be bang on, it did come down from Tyne Yard 👍

Cheers Bill, all the best.

Thanks a lot John, fantastic to have you 👍

Cheers mate, much appreciated 👍

Thanks a lot Nick! I’m hoping that even if it’s a quiet day at Donny, I’ll be there so long there should be plenty of clips by the end of it haha.

Cheers Paul, glad you enjoyed it!

Yes Paul, the wires WILL spoil the view. As with cars, the future is hydrogen created when there is spare electricity from green resources at night and on Sunday mornings. No cables to sag in hot weather and get ripped down by pantographs because there wouldn't be any cables and pylons. I spend my Winters in deepest Slovakia. (Electricity is only 9 pence per kilowatt). I'm here now. There is a lot of electrification here but the cables and pylons are much lighter and less obtrusive than in Britain. We travel on trains from time to time because it costs about 7 pence per mile. Pensioners travel free. The problem is that the only one that has been on time is on a single track branch line in the fairy-tale pretty Rimavica valley where the two carriage diesel train runs a shuttle service, the round trip every two hours. Mainline trains are up to 50 minutes late ..... still, you can stay at home and finish the washing up because the progress of each train is available on the internet. The problem with that is that during our 3 mile drive to our nearest station (just the same as hospitals here, parking is free at railway stations for days at a time if you want) the train may have lost another 10 minutes. In Bratislava, there is the classic platforms with pedestrian underpass but everywhere else I have been, you walk across the tracks to the appropriate platform. Platforms are about 4 feet wide and only inches above the track requiring mountaineering equipment to get up into the carriages. The carriages are built like brick shit-houses and are very comfortable, arm rests, fold out tables, mirrors so that ladies can adjust their hair just before their destination. You can book a seat if you want ...... can be advisable at busy times out of Bratislava but most people don't. There is no casino charging here. Booked or walk-on, everyone pays the same just as in the golden days of British Rail ....... in the 1970s, King's Langley or Watford to and from Euston, cheap day-return 25 pence. I used it frequently. Today ..... I hate to think ! I haven't travelled on trains in Britain for years and years through fear that the bastard sitting next to me may have paid less than me for the same journey. Všetko najlepšie.

She’s a beauty eh John. Thanks for the support, glad you enjoyed it!

Im hoping to see that to at Wigan as there are no trains here, but i hope GBRf find a good working 60 as they always conk out

Cheers mate, yeah that would be great! I’ll be there from noon till noon, Friday/Saturday. Gutted I’ll be on the wrong mainline to catch that one.

I have mate yeah, I think they started doing it with the timetable change, there’s an early morning stopper too around half 7. Need to get on it one of these days!

Nice one Dylan, I keep saying I need to get over to the other side of the tunnel more, some great shots over there. I’ll no doubt have my cap on so if you see me make sure to come say hi haha 👍🏻

Wow I can only imagine how they sounded. If that didn’t convert the little-uns then nothing would haha. Thanks for the comment Stephen.

"bright orange sheep in Cumbria" Yay, Sellafield! 😉🤣

I’ll definitely be getting down to Stalybridge before they’re finished to try and get some footage. Difficult to get a good view over there but I’ll see what I can do! Thanks a lot mate, glad you enjoyed it.

Cheers for the comments, glad you enjoyed the vid!

It left this morning heading over to Doncaster...in the same train as TWO others! I didn't manage to get out to film it but caught it and recorded it from the cam so you should see it in the next ep!

Just suscribed to your site and very much enjoyed. All well captured and narrated thanks!. That crane must have a SWL of something like 200tons !!

@@spuds4t Thanks a lot Henry, very much appreciate it. Yeah you must be right, it was one hell of a bit of kit.

the civils for the OLE will cost 10 times more than the OLE itself, dozens of bridges to be replaced or raised and yes, will connect ECML with WCML in effect. Completion some time the end of this decade.

@@barcooter8248 just hope you end up with OLE more in keeping with the WCML and ECML rather than the ugly structures of the GWML

Cheers mate! Effectively yeah it will do eventually, they’re kind of going from each end inward so this area will be the last to go up. Estimate timings keep getting pushed further and further back - probably because of most units here being DMU or bimodes, they won’t need it all the way.

Love the slow running and 66 start up!👍👍

Haha cheers Andy, cam is finally up! Pity the line is closed so there’s nothing to really see at the mo.

Thanks a lot mate. I presume from what others have said they’re going to hang them directly from the roof rather than with catenary but it’s still gonna be ultra close.

Ahh that makes more sense, the pantographs will practically be flat lol it’s looking like 66 haven

It may be done like Severn tunnel with metal strips conducting the electrics

The pantograph easily follows the catenary wires as they drop lower, Being sprung 'up to tension' to meet the catenary is the norm for a pantograph. Of course, the biggest mistake that has been made is not electrifying the route with a Live Third Rail rather than 25kV Overhead. Overhead is far costlier and requires expensive structural alterations. All Third Rail requires is additional sub-stations for the DC power supply. Third Rail is more environmentally attractive than ugly masts and wires..... There would be a phenomenal saving if Third Rail were installed, freeing up more money for other works elsewhere, and of course, eco-diesel is more environmentally friendly and cheaper than electrification. James Hennighan Yorkshire, England

they have to lower the tunnel floor, approx £450m last time i looked. OLE will be rigid OCS.

Haha yeah fingers crossed for a lighter touch up along here. I’m glad I’ve managed to at least get a good few months of filming without them. Hopefully it takes them a good while to make it up here.

@@DiggleJunction it will be UKMS range so slightly easier on the eye than the Series 1 used on GWML but only just. Special measures are being taken on Hudds viaduct due to it being listed.

I think the camera just hasn’t picked it up but it looks red. They have been running reds through the possession from what I’ve seen but can’t remember if this one did. Thanks for watching mate.

Thanks mate, I agree it will be a shame, hopefully it’s at least done sympathetically rather than the huge mainline catenary.

Thanks a lot for that mate.

Thanks for the comment mate. You’re right on the drax trains, they’re usually running so slow simply due to the hill. Diggle box is still 24 hours manned but like you say it nowadays only controls the blocks, crossover and loop this side of the tunnel. With the upgrade I fear it’s time may be running out. Diggle had a station right at the tunnel mouth up until the 60’s when it was closed, local groups are trying to drum up support but the line from those in power is that Greenfield is sufficiently close to not warrant it. Would be very handy for me ha.

@@DiggleJunction Cheers for that, I assumed Diggle Junction box was dead for some reason.

@@borderlands6606 To be fair at the rate they're closing/have closed, you were probably right to assume.

Still strange to me too, growing up they were reserved for Eurostars when I was a kid.

@@DiggleJunction Now I am feeling old!

Cheers Paul, I’m worried about that in all honesty. Just hoping it’s not full catenary. I’ll have to expand my line side locations if it’s bad.

@@DiggleJunction You're welcome. That's partly the reason I don't go to places like Cholsey on the GWML. The bridge shot is just not good. Whereas a lot of the bridges on the WCML I find are better for getting shots as the catenary isn't as busy.

@@HSTPaul yeah I know what you mean. The bridges down from Acton Bridge on the West Coast aren’t too bad because it’s so open and straight.

@@DiggleJunction Yeah they're quite good

Peterborough is definitely on my list, I’d like to see some of the south end of the ECML and get some of the capital traffic.

Sadly I believe so mate but don’t have a definite timeframe. Still trying to get in there to film before it closes!

Thanks for that Chris, I didn't understand the commentary but was a very interesting watch nonetheless. That crane looks very similar indeed, I do love European railways!

@@DiggleJunction You're welcome! :-) I'll elaborate a bit for you: Heerlen is where the Intercity trains of NS (the main Dutch passenger train operator) terminate if they don't terminate at Maastricht, capital of the province of Limburg (the Dutch province of Limburg; the Belgian province of Limburg borders it to the West). All other trains (and bus services) in Limburg are run by Arriva, a British subsidiary of German operator DB. From Heerlen to Landgraaf, the Arriva service between Sittard and Kerkrade crosses its service between Aachen (D) and Maastricht, to be extended at last to Liège (B). Having that section made double-track (actually twice single-track, I think), there'll be room for more trains between Aachen and Heerlen. From December 2023 on, there'll be these semi-fast trains joining three countries, three languages, three catenary voltages, three safety systems. There's a 2021 cab view from Heerlen to Aachen and back with comments spoken in Dutch: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-bdLpec9UNWk.html. I seem to remember, that outside footage is included to show lowering one pantograph and raising the other on the fly (alongside the small yard at Eygelshoven). The EMUs used are of type Flirt by Stadler. If you should be fascinated by such changes, have a look at the "locomotive ballet" with comments spoken in German: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-QocfvOlBdPQ.html. It is about changing single-voltage locomotives hauling the Intercity trains between Amsterdam (NL) and Berlin (D) at the German border town of Bad Bentheim. The catenary voltage can be switched between German 15kV~ and Dutch 1.5kV=. - In December 2023 multi-voltage locos will take over. I'd assume the station to be adapted soon afterwards. (Even the multi-voltage freight train locos must currently halt here due to the catenary switching.) The yellow locos are Dutch, the red ones German.

@@chrislaarman7532 Thanks for this mate, a very interesting read! I'd have liked to have seen the "ballet".

I saw this on Les’ video. It is the same crane (DRK 81613), it must have come down through Carlisle to Tyne yard before it came down here.

Should be all done and dusted on April 5th 👍

@@DiggleJunction cheers

Thanks a lot mate, I’ve just subbed to your channel I look forward to that. Really enjoy old footage from the local area.

@@DiggleJunction do you remember the rats or class 25? Final loco on the mainline was Holbecks training loco, Tamworth Castle which has been preserved. Filmed at Giggleswick, Marsden, Hellifield and Sowerby Bridge on its final tours. Withdrawn finally after last tour 30th March 1991.

@@Sowerbylads Sadly not mate, I wasn't born until '90 so they're a bit before my time. In all honesty I don't remember a time before units on this line or the Calder (I was born in Littleborough). I was lucky enough to see the 24, 25 & 26 at least years East Lancs Autumn diesel gala though which was great!

@@Sowerbylads Sadly they were a bit before my time, I wasn't born until '90. To be honest I don't remember a time before units were on this line or the Calder (I was born in Littleborough). Managed to see the 24, 25 & 26 at least years East Lancs Autumn diesel gala though which was fantastic!

@@DiggleJunction some treats to come then! Hope you enjoy the material.

And this time it just had to be my side! Hopefully it at least Leeds to more variety.

Sure do Edwin 👍🏻

They’re usually limited by our signalling sections but the hills around Diggle often means anything really long wouldn’t make it up the inclines.

Haha many thanks Ken, very much appreciate the support as always.

Thanks a lot mate, glad to hear your getting back into it! The single loco was apparently doing snowplough tests but it looks to me like it was checking the line because of the weather. You’re bang on with the crane, it was being used down the line for completely remodelling the track and raising electrification catenary 👍🏻

Great clips, great scenery......keep it up.....cheers....Mal, Perth, Australia 🇦🇺